You're perfectly right about this. And you're right about the higher motivation adults have too. I often think how education in general might look different if we could choose what we learned the same way we do as adults. It would sure make school much more interesting! I spent so many years learning things I thought were unnecessary, only to forget them, and then having to relearn them at a later date when I realized I needed them. You can see this for instance in how many universities have a let's call it "catch up" course in their introductory year, where they basically reteach things like basic math skills, or if you take any other course they run you through the basics once more to make sure you got it. This is sad, in that it's like implying that the last 12 or so years of your life were a waste! But how do you make kids understand they need to learn something? I think giving them choices that are similar, but still give the illusion of choice, would a good way to go about it. So, for instance, if you think everyone should know math, then give them the choice between algebra and geometry, say, and then teach them roughly the same things in different ways whatever they choose! The emphasis would be different, but they would gain very similar skills, and they might be more motivated cos they think "I chose this".

I wanna learn so many things but time is the issue. I wanna learn the piano among other things.